Shizuo had always liked kids. They were cute, little and fun to play with. Plus, when kids found out about his strength they weren't scared of him. They just looked up at him with their eyes wide and mouths hanging open in wonder, like he was some kind of superhero. So when after about a year and a half of them being married had gone by, he wanted to say something to Izaya about adopting one, but he was a little worried. What if something happened to the kid? What if they couldn't raise him right? They weren't exactly model citizens. And they couldn't seem to go five minutes without being at each other's throats. Shizuo loved his husband, but that didn't mean he didn't hate him sometimes. And the most terrifying question that he asked himself, the question that kept him up at night.

What if he hurt the kid? He couldn't control himself. He couldn't trust himself. Whenever he got angry it seemed like a red haze swept over him and he destroyed everything in his path. Izaya was used to his anger, heck; he seemed to like making Shizuo angry. But Izaya could protect himself. They had been fighting since high school and Izaya always knew when to dodge, when to jump, and when to duck. But if they had a kid, a little baby, that child couldn't protect itself from Shizuo's wrath. He had been getting better at controlling his anger, but that didn't mean he was harmless.

So he kept his mouth shut. He never mentioned wanting a kid. He never mentioned how much he wanted to hold a child in his arms, to swing a happy little boy or girl around in circles and hear them shriek with laughter. He never mentioned his dream of having a happy little family with Izaya. But he didn't have to.

It had had happened on a bright, sunny, Saturday morning. Izaya had been nursing his third cup of coffee while Shizuo made breakfast. After Shizuo had cracked some eggs into a pan, he felt Izaya hug him from behind. He blushed and added some pepper into the cooking eggs.

"What is it, flea?" he asked.

Izaya just hummed quietly. They stayed like that for a while, just enjoying each other's company.

"You know, Shizu-chan," Izaya started, "we should get a kid."

Shizuo's eyes widened before looking down at his husband's grinning face. He tried to think of something to say. He tried to say something, anything to express his pure delight and utter terror at the idea, but all that came out was a croaking sound.

Izaya looked at his flabbergasted face and smirked. "I think we'd be great parents Shizu-chan. What do you say? Do you want a happy little baby? Well, maybe not a baby. They're a lot of work. But maybe a cute little toddler. I think you'd be a great mommy."

Shizuo scowled. "Who's a freaking mommy? Not me! If anything, you'll be the mom you stupid flea!"

"No, I think you're much more of a mom than I am. I'll bet I can get our kid to call you mommy."

"You will not! I'll get him to call you mommy, you creepy pale freak!"

They had argued like this for quite a while before Shizuo realized what Izaya had said. He wanted a kid. He wanted to raise a kid with Shizuo, wanted to have a family. But Shizuo's fear was still there.

"Izaya what if I hurt the kid? God, I could never forgive myself if I hurt a kid."

"Shizu-chan I trust you. Look at all the years we've spent together and you've never seriously injured me."

Shizuo still wasn't convinced. "But you can defend yourself," he insisted. "You can-"

He was cut off when Izaya kissed him softly on the mouth. After he pulled away he looped his arms around Shizuo's neck and looked up at him.

"I know I can defend myself, but that's not the only reason you haven't hurt me. You love me Shizu-chan. I know that and you know that. And if we have a kid you'll love them too. You could never hurt someone if you loved them. I don't believe you have it in you. I trust you and I love you. I want to have a family Shizu-chan, and I know you do too."

Shizuo hadn't known how to respond to that. He just hugged Izaya and whispered a quiet, "Okay."

And when they brought little two-year old Mikado home and watched his eyes open in wonder at his new home, Shizuo could only smile.